One Pot Vegetarian Tofu Curry | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

Over the past year I’ve become OBSESSED with curry flavors. Don’t ask this Puerto Rican girl why, but I think it’s because there is a Thai neighborhood just up the block. The spices are aromatic and wander in and out of the streets. In a way, the smells are inviting me to come in a try something I’ve never had before, which is often what Tony and I try to do when we go out.

Lately, it’s been all about that curry life. I love slurping up a big bowl of coconut curry from our local Vietnamese restaurant Tank Noodle, or trying a spicy version over rice; not only is it comforting, but I feel like there’s something really healing about a good curry.

Last week I’m sure some of you noticed via Instagram stories that I came down with an awful sore throat & cold that made me lose my voice completely. Besides pumping my body with probiotics, kombucha, tea, lemon, ginger and vitamins, I knew I needed a little something with all the good spices for dinner. Perhaps even something reminiscent of the neighborhood Thai and Indian restaurants from down the street. AKA CURRY LIFE.

Whenever I’m sick, I love eating vegetarian. I know people say you’re supposed to have chicken noodle soup, but there’s something magical about eating plant based for a few days and feeling nourished. So anyway, I decided to make an incredible vegetarian tofu curry recipe, which I can somehow get Tony to eat. Told you it was magical.

One Pot Vegetarian Tofu Curry | Ambitious Kitchen (1)

Everything you’ll need to make the best tofu curry

This beautiful vegan curry recipe is filled with veggies that simmer in a light coconut and tomato curry sauce. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

  • Vegetables: we’re adding sweet potato, carrots, cauliflower, red bell pepper, and a jalapeño to this vegan tofu curry.
  • Coconut oil: you’ll need a little coconut oil to cook down those veggies.
  • Tofu: because it’s tofu curry, of course! The tofu cubes add a lovely texture and a wonderful boost of plant-based protein. I recommend using firm or extra firm tofu so that it holds up in the curry.
  • Herbs & spices: this curry dish has tons of flavor thanks to fresh garlic and ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, a little ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to taste.
  • For the broth: simmer it all together in lite coconut milk, tomato sauce, and some vegetable broth.
  • Mix-ins and garnishes: I love adding ground roasted cashews straight to the pot, and then garnishing with fresh cilantro and extra chopped cashews. Feel free to add a squeeze of lime juice at the end for a little acidity.

Don’t forget these steps before cooking with tofu

You’ll want to remove as much of the excess water in the tofu as possible so that it holds flavor and gets nice and crispy:

  1. Wrap your extra firm tofu block with a dish towel or paper towels and place it on a plate.
  2. Place a wooden cutting board on top.
  3. Put something heavy on top of the cutting board like a pot of water, books, etc. so that the water begins to squeeze out into the towel.

One Pot Vegetarian Tofu Curry | Ambitious Kitchen (2)

Customize your tofu curry

This easy tofu curry recipe is even easier to customize with what you have on hand! Here’s what I can recommend:

  • Pick your protein. While it is tofu curry, you could always swap the tofu for a can of chickpeas. If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, feel free to add chicken or shrimp.
  • Choose your veggies. This recipe is great for using up any veggies you have in your fridge. I think mushrooms, an onion, and spinach would be great in here!
  • Kick up the heat.If you like spicy flavors feel free to add in somesriracha, red chili paste or your fav hot sauce.

Our fav ways to serve this curry dish

This vegan tofu curry is delicious on its own, but I also love serving it with:

  • Basmati rice, jasmine rice, or my famous Coconut Rice
  • Cauliflower Rice for a grain free option
  • Naan for dipping (typically for an Indian curry recipe rather than Thai curries, but still delicious dipped with this wonderful sauce!)

One Pot Vegetarian Tofu Curry | Ambitious Kitchen (3)

Storing & freezing tips

  • To store: store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
  • To freeze: be sure to not overcook the vegetables. Let the curry cool completely before transferring it to afreezer safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months, and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop after thawing it in the refrigerator.

More vegetarian recipes you’ll love

  • The Best Dal Ever
  • Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice and Beans
  • Healing Lemongrass Chickpea Thai Green Curry with Toasted Coconut Brown Rice
  • One Pot Vegan Coconut Curried Brown Rice with Tofu

Get all of my vegetarian dinner recipes here, and all of my tofu recipes here!

I hope you love this vegetarian tofu curry recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

One Pot Vegetarian Tofu Curry | Ambitious Kitchen (4)

The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook

125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

Preorder Now

Vegetarian Tofu Cashew Coconut Curry

4.88 from 55 votes

Leave A Review Print Recipe

One Pot Vegetarian Tofu Curry | Ambitious Kitchen (5)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

ServesServes 4 servings

Creamy, flavorful vegetarian tofu curry with tender sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and bell pepper. Beautiful veggies and tofu are simmered in a fragrant coconut curry sauce filled with garlic, turmeric, and ginger for a delicious vegan curry dish you'll love!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 1 medium sweet potato, diced into 1 inch cubes
  • ½ head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 2-3 cups)
  • 1 bell yellow or orange pepper, diced
  • 2 carrots, thinly diced or chopped
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15 oz) can lite coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • ½ cup vegetarian broth
  • ¼ cup roasted cashews, ground
  • 1 package firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
  • To garnish: Cilantro and extra cashews

Instructions

  • Add coconut oil to a large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in garlic, ginger, jalapeno, sweet potato, cauliflower, bell pepper, and carrots. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until carrots start to soften.

  • Next stir in curry powder, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and salt.

  • Add in coconut milk, tomato sauce, vegetarian broth and ground cashews. Stir until smooth.

  • Gently add in tofu and stir. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Serve immediately with cilantro.

Recipe Notes

See the full post for tips, tricks, and ways to customize your curry!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 342calCarbohydrates: 26.2gProtein: 14.1gFat: 20.4gSaturated Fat: 10.3gFiber: 6.8gSugar: 8.6g

One Pot Vegetarian Tofu Curry | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Can you freeze curry with tofu? ›

Freezer: Tofu curry is also suitable for freezing. The texture of the tofu will change slightly, becoming chewier, but that's normal. To freeze, let the vegan curry cool down completely. Then, transfer it into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months.

How many calories are in coconut curry tofu? ›

Thai Coconut Curry Tofu
Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 4 serving (195.05g)
How many calories are in Thai Coconut Curry Tofu? Amount of calories in Thai Coconut Curry Tofu: Calories 288.8Calories from Fat 184.3 (63.8%)
% Daily Value *
66 more rows

Should you fry tofu before adding to curry? ›

About Tofu Curry

To begin with, first you will get rid of the excess moisture from the tofu and marinate it with spices and herbs for a short time until the curry is ready. It is then pan-fried and then added to the delicious curry sauce. So the Tofu in the Curry is full-flavored with a excellent texture!

Why does tofu say not suitable for freezing? ›

Are any types of tofu not suitable for freezing? Soft tofu will not become as spongy as firmer tofus, but can still be frozen. While silken tofu technically can be frozen, it's not recommended. Instead, if you want silken tofu that will last a while, opt for shelf-stable silken tofu in aseptic packaging.

What's the difference between curry and massaman curry? ›

Massaman is a bit different to other Thai curry varieties, because it features spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. It's popular in central and southern Thailand, and is usually topped off with potatoes and peanuts. This Thai curry is relatively mild in flavour, but I love how rich and creamy it is.

Why is massaman curry so good? ›

The richness comes from the coconut milk and cream used as a base, as for many Thai curries. In 2011, CNNGo ranked massaman curry as the number one most delicious food in an article titled "World's 50 most delicious foods".

Is Massaman or green curry healthier? ›

Like its red and green counterparts, massaman curry gets its creaminess from coconut milk. But this version is made with peanuts and potatoes, so it's often higher in calories. One cup can have more calories than a cheeseburger and fries -- and twice as much fat.

How to reheat tofu curry? ›

You can reheat the curry either on the hob or microwave. On the hob, bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes until piping hot through. Alternatively, microwave on high for 2-3 minutes per portion. If the vegan peanut curry is frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for a few hours.

Is coconut curry high in carbs? ›

This coconut curry chicken has 12 grams of carbohydrates per serving, which is generally considered within the limits of a keto friendly meal.

Is coconut curry fatty? ›

Curry recipes that contain main components with high amounts of calories and fat — a creamy coconut milk base and fatty meats — will naturally be more fattening than those that feature veggies and plant-based fare.

Can you freeze meals made with tofu? ›

You can freeze tofu when it's uncooked, but what about cooked tofu? In most cases, freezing a cooked tofu dish won't be the end of the world, but it also probably won't taste as good when you reheat it. Again, this has to do with the effect that freezing has on tofu texture.

Can you freeze homemade curry? ›

Freezing curry is a great option if you want to get organised for an event or just to have a mid-week meal all ready to go. It doesn't take much longer to cook a curry for 12 rather than 6, so get ahead and batch cook that curry!

Can you marinate and freeze tofu? ›

If you like the smooth texture of tofu, then freezing isn't recommended, of course. But if you want it to firm up a bit to have a pleasant chew, plus absorb the flavors of marinades (which sometimes tofu doesn't do well), freezing it and then defrosting it before you use it really changes tofu's character.

Can you freeze tofu puree? ›

You can store the Tofu baby puree in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze it for up to 4 months. With a paper towel gently press the tofu to get any extra water out.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Lilliana Bartoletti

Last Updated:

Views: 6561

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lilliana Bartoletti

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 58866 Tricia Spurs, North Melvinberg, HI 91346-3774

Phone: +50616620367928

Job: Real-Estate Liaison

Hobby: Graffiti, Astronomy, Handball, Magic, Origami, Fashion, Foreign language learning

Introduction: My name is Lilliana Bartoletti, I am a adventurous, pleasant, shiny, beautiful, handsome, zealous, tasty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.